Valve.



No. 656,963. Patented Aug. 28, I900.

D. GILCHRIST.

VALVE.

'Application filed Feb. 15, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets$heet l.

W/TNESSES INVENTOH A77 NEYS m: Norms Pair- -.0, wowumou WASHINGTOT, u L

Patnted Aug. 28, I900.

D. GILCHRIST.

V A L V E (Application filed Feb. 15, 1900.)

2 Shoets-Sheat 2.

(No Model.)

FIGB.

- IN VENTOI? A 77'0HNE Y S W/ TNESSES UNITE STATES PATENT ()rrrcn.

DAVID GILCIIRIST, OF CONCORD, NEIV HAMPSHIRE.

VALVE.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 656,963, dated August28, 1900. Application filed February 15, 1900 Serial No. 5,347. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it 11m concern.-

Be it known that I, DAVID GILOHRIsT,a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Concord, in the county of Merrimac and State of NewHampshire, have invented a new and Improved Valve, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description. 7

The invention relates to expansion steamengines having high and lowpressure cylinders,with the cranks standing at one hundred and eightydegrees; and the object of the invention is to provide a new andimproved valve designed to control the admission and exhaust to and fromthe engine-cylinders and arranged to permit of using the exhaust fromthe higlrpressure cylinder either solely as the motive agent for thelow-pressure cylinder or to supply live motive agent directly to thelow-pressure cylinder.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations ofthe same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out inthe claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

Figure 1 is asectional plan View of the improvement on the line 1 1 inFig. 3. Fig. 2

is a sectional side elevation of the same with the intercepting-valve inan active position. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the same on the line 33 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view of the same, and Fig. dis across-section of the improvement on the line 5 5 in Fig. 2.

In the high-pressure cylinder A of the engine reciprocates a piston A,andin the lowpressure cylinder B reciprocates a piston B in an oppositedirection to the reciprocating movement ,of the piston A, owing to thecrank-arms standing at one hundred and eighty degrees. The ends of thecylinder A are connected by ports a and b with ports 0 and cl,respectively, in a cylindrical steamchest 0, fitted into a bore in asaddle D intermediate of the cylinders A and B. The ends of thecylindrical steam-chest O are closed by suitable doors E, as illustratedin the drawings.

The low-pressure cylinder B is provided with ports e and f, connectedwith ports 9 and h in the chest 0, preferably located opposite the ports0 and d. In the steam-chest O is mounted to reciprocate a main valve vhaving a middle section F and end sections F F all secured on avalve-stem G, connected with a suitable mechanism of the engine to givethe desired reciprocating motion to the main valve in the steam-cl1estO. The middle section F of the main valve is provided With flanges F F,located a distance from the end sections F F and the said flanges F Fcontrol the ports 0 g and d 7L, respectively.

The middle portion of the steam-chest O is divided by the valve-sectionF into two coinpartments 0 C of which the compartment 0 is connectedwith an inlet-port 2', connected with a suitable source of steam-s11pply,and the other compartment G is connected with an exhaust-portj,asis plainly indicated in Fig. 3.

When the, several parts are in the position shown in Fig. l and the stemG is shifted to the left, then the compartment 0 is connected with theport 0, so that live motive agent can pass from said compartment throughthe ports 0 a into the left-hand end of the cylinder A to push thepiston A therein to the right in the direction of the arrow at, and atthe same time the exhaust motive agent in front of the piston A passesthrough the ports I) (1 into the compartment 0 and from the latterthrough the ports hfinto the right-hand end of the cylinder B to pushthe piston B therein in the inverse direction of the arrow a. As theport 9 is uncovered during this operation, it is evident that theexhaust motive agent in front of the piston B passes through the ports 6g into the exhaust-compartment O and from the latter through theexhaust-port j to the open air or to a condenser. When the pistons A andB near the ends of their strokes, then the valve-stem G is shifted tothe right, so as to connect the compartment 0 with the ports (1 and b toallow the motive agent to pass into the right-hand end of the cylinder Ato push the piston A in the inverse direction of the arrow (1, and atthe same time the exhaust motive agent in the left-hand end of thecylinderA passes through the ports a and 0 into the annular compartment0 and through the ports 9 6 into the left-hand end of the cylinder B topush the piston B therein to the Z k to the exhaust-compartment C rightin the direction of the arrow a. WVhile this is taking place the exhaustmotive agent in the right-hand end of the cylinder B passes through theportsf h into the compartment C and through the exhaust-portj to theopen air or-a condenser.

\Vhen it is desired to pass live motive agent from the compartment 0directly into both the cylinders A and B and to simultaneously exhaustthe motive agent from said cylinders into the compartment 0intercepting-valves H H are made use of in the manner presently to bedescribed in detail. The interceptingvalves H H are mounted tosimultaneously slide toward or from each other in the main valve, theannular flanges H H of said intercepting-valves being disposed betweenthe flanges F F and the end sections F F respectively. are hollow andare inside of the middle sec tion F, which has a central transversepartition F, as shown in the drawings. The intercepting-valves H H aresecured on rods I I, fitted to slide in the end sections F F andconnected with sleeves J J, fitted to slide in the heads E,thevalve-stem Gpassing through said sleeves J J. The outer ends of the saidsleeves are pivotally connected with levers J J respectively connectedwith piston-rods J J, carrying pistons J J mounted to reciprocate in acylinder J connected at its middle at J with a motive-agent supply underthe control of the operator, the ends of said cylinder being open, sothat when the motive agent has passed intothe cylinder the two pistons JJ are moved apart in an outward direction to cause the sleeves J-J, tomove inward and shift the intercepting-valves H H toward each other tothe position shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

In the middle section F of the main valve are arranged ports 70 70,opening into the steam-supply compartment 0, and ports 70 it openinginto the exhaust-compartment C The ports 70 it are adapted to registerwith channels I Z in the intercepting-valves H H, and the ports 7 0 kare adapted to register with the ports Z 1 opening into the inside ofthe intercepting-valves H H to allow the exhaust motive agent to pass tochambers K K, between the sections F F and the intercepting-valves H H,respectively, as is plainly shown in Fig. 4:. From the chambers K K leadports at n to chambers L L, arranged between the flanges F F and theflanges H H of the intercepting-valves H H, so that exhaust-steam fromthe ends of the cylinder A can pass by ports c and Z) d to the saidchainbers L L and from the latter by way of ports n n to the chambers KK and through the middle of the valves H H and ports 1 7a and Thechannels Z Z, above mentioned, connect by ports 70 respectively, withchambers F formed in the middle valve-section F and opening at theirends into channels 0 0, formed in the outer faces of the flanges F F,

The intercepting-valves H H" the said channels opening into chambers L Lrespectively, arranged between the flanges F F and the flanges H H thesaid chambers being adapted to register with the ports g and h,respectively, to supply the low-pressure cylinder with live steam whenthe valve F, and with it the intercepting-valves, isreciprocated.Springs P preferably bear between the levers J J and the supports onwhich said levers are fulcrumed and serve to force theintercepting-valves back into an outermost position when the steam iscut off from the cylinder J When the intercepting-valves have been movedinward toward each other, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4, and the stemG is moved to the left, then the live motive agent from the compartment0 passes through the ports 0 and a into the left-hand end of thecylinder A to push the piston A in the direction of the arrow a, thesame as previously described, and at the same time the live motive agentpasses from the compartment O',by way of the registering port 76 andchannel Z, to the chamber F and from the right-hand end of the latter,by Way of the channel 0, to the chamber L and then by the ports hf tothe right-hand end of the cylinder B to push the piston 13 therein inthe inverse direction of the arrow at at the time the exhaust in frontof the piston A passes through the ports I) 01 into the chamber L and byway of the port n into the chamber K, then through theintercepting-valve H to the ports Z 76 to the compartment 0 and throughthe portj to the outside air. The exhaust in front of the piston Bpasses, by way of the ports 6 g, directly into the compartment Cflandlikewise through the port j to the outer air. When the pistons A and Bnear the ends of their strokes, the main and intercepting valves aresimultaneously reversed, as it is understood that theintercepting-valves move with the main valve when the valve-stem G isshifted, and the motive agent passes from the chamber 0 into theright-hand end of the cylinder A at the same time the live motive agentpasses into the left-hand end of the cylinder B to push the pistons A Bin opposite directions back to their former positions. (Shown in Fig.4.) The exhaust motive agent passes from the said cylinders into thecompartment (T -that is, the motive agent from the cylinder A passes, byway of the ports a 0, into the chamber L, through the port or into thechamber K, and from the latter, through. the intercepting-valve H andthe registering ports Z 70 into the chamber C The exhaust motive agentin front of the piston B passes through the portsf h directly into thechamber 0 to be exhausted by way of the port j.

In the flanges H H adjacent to the cylinder A are arranged ports 19 toassist in passing the exhaust to the chambers K K for the purposepreviously explained, said ports 9 being additional to the ports at n.

From the foregoing it is evident that the intercepting-valves can bethrown into or out of action at the will of the operator, so that themotive agent simultaneously passes into the cylinders A and B atopposite ends thereof, or the main valve is used Without theintercepting-valves being in active position for carrying the exhaustmotive agent of the high-pressure cylinder for expansion purposes intothe low-pressure cylinder B and for finally passing the exhaust motiveagent from the low-pressure cylinder to the exhaustchamber 0 and theportj.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent 1. A valve for expansion-engines, comprising asteam-chest connected with the ports of both the high and low pressurecylinders, a main valve reciprocating in said steamchest, and arrangedto control the admission of the motive agent to the high-pressurecylinder, and an intercepting-valve under the control of the operatorand operating in unison with said main valve, to control the exhaust ofboth the high-pressure and the lowpressure cylinders, and to control theadmission of the live motive agent to the low-pressure cylinder, thesaid intercepting-valve being adjustable on the main valve, as setforth.

2. A valve for expansion-engines, comprisin g a steam-chest connectedwith the ports of both the high and low pressure cylinders, a main valvereciprocating in said steam-chest, and arranged to control the admissionof the motive agent to the high-pressure cylinder, an intercepting-valveunder the control of the operator and operating in unison with said mainvalve, to control the exhaust of both the high-pressure and thelow-pressure cylinders, and to control the admission of the live motiveagent to the low-pressure cylinder, the said intercepting-valve beingadapted to be shifted on the main valve and means under the control ofthe operator for shifting the said intercepting-valves into an active orinactive position on said main valve, as set forth.

3. A valve for expansion-engines, comprising a steam-chest connectedwith the ports of both the'high and low pressure cylinders, a main valvereciprocating in said steam-chest, and arranged to control the admissionof the motive agent to the high-pressure cylinder, andintercepting-valves moving with said main valve and operating inconjunction therewith, to control the exhaust of both the high and lowpressure cylinders and theadmission of motive agent to the low-pressurecylinder, the said intercepting-valves being mounted to slide toward andfrom each other in the main valve and means under the 0011- trol of theoperator, for shifting the said intercepting-valves on the said mainvalve to an active position, as set forth.

4. A valve for expansion-engines comprising a cylindrical steam-chestconnected by ports with the ports of both the high and low pressurecylinders and a main valve reciprocating in said steam-chest, and havingend sections and a middle section all secured on the valve-stem, thesaid middle section dividing the middleportion of said steam-chest intotwo compartments one of which is connected with an inlet-port for thesteam-supply and the other with an exhaust-port, the said middle sectionof the main valve being provided with flanges controlling the said portsconnecting the steam-chest and cylinders, substantially as described.

5. A valve for expansion-engines, comprising a steam-chest connectedwith the ports of both the high and low pressure cylinders, a main valvereciprocating in the steam-chest and arranged to control the admissionof the motive agent to the high-pressure cylinder, the said valve havinga middle section and end sections, the middle section forming twocompartments in the steam-chest connected respectively with aninlet-port for the steamsupply and an exhaust-port, and anintercepting-valve under the control of the operator, and mounted toslide in the middle section of the main valve, the saidinterceptingvalve operating in unison with said main valve, for thepurpose set forth.

6. A valve for expansion-engines, comprising a steam-chest connectedwith the ports of both the high and low pressure cylinders, a main valvereciprocating in said steam-chest and forming two compartments thereinconnected respectively with an inlet-port for the steam-supply and anexhaust-port, the said valve being arranged to control the admission ofthe motive agent to the high-pressure cylinder, an intercepting-valvefitted to slide in the main valve and operating in unison therewith tocontrol the exhaust of both the highpressure and the low-pressurecylinders, and to control the admission of the live motive agent to thelow-pressure cylinder, and means under the control of the operator forshifting the said intercepting-valve, substantially as set forth.

7. A Valve for expansion-engines, comprising a steam-chest connectedwith the ports of both the high and low pressure cylinders, a main valvereciprocating in said steam=chest and arranged to control the admissionof the motive agent to the high-pressure cylinder, an intercepting-valvemounted to slide in the main valve, and operating in unison therewith tocontrol the exhaust of both the highpressure and the low-pressurecylinders and to control the admission of the live motive agent to thelow-pressure cylinder, rods secured to the intercepting-valve and fittedto slide in the main valve, and means under the control of the operatorand connected with said rods for shifting the intercepting-valve, as setforth.

8. A valve for expansion-engines, comprising a steam-chest connectedwith the ports of both the high and low pressure cylinders, a main valvereciprocating in said steam-chest,

and arranged to control the admission of the motive agent to thehigh-pressure cylinder, intercepting-valves mounted to slide in the mainvalve and operating in unison therewith to control the exhaust of boththe high-pressure and the low-pressure cylinders, and to control theadmission of the live motive agent to the low-pressure cylinder, rodsfitted to slide in the ends of the main valve and to which the saidintercepting-valves are secured, sleeves fitted to slide in the ends ofthe steam-chest and connected with the said rods, the main valve-stempassing through the said sleeves, levers pivotally connected with theouter ends of said sleeves, a cylinder, and piston-rods carrying pistonsmounted to reciprocate in said cylinder, the said piston-rods beingconnected with the said levers, the said cylinder being connected with amotive-agent supply under the control of the operator, for the purposeset forth.

9. A valve for expansion-engines comprising a cylindrical steam-chesthaving ports connected with the ports of both the high and low pressurecylinders, a main valve reciprocating in said steam-chest and having endsections and a middle section, the middle section dividing the middleportion of the steam-chest into a live-steam compartment and-anexhaust-compartment connected respectively with an inlet-port for thesteamsupply and an exhaust-port,the middle valvesection being providedwith flanges controlling the ports connecting the steam-chest and thecylinders, and the said middle section having a central transversepartition, hollow intercepting-valves extending Within the middlesection of the main valve and provided with flanges located between theflanges on the middle section and flanges on the end sections of themain valve, the said reciprocating valve moving with the main valve andadapted to be shifted thereon, the middle section of said main valve andthe interceptingvalve being provided with ports or passages, and thesaid intercepting-valve operating in unison with said main valve, forthe purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

DAVID GILCIIRIS'I.

Witnesses:

JOHN D. NEVVALL, WM. R. OHnvns.

